Problem: Find the distance between the points (-3, 1) and (-8, -2). ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ $(-3, 1)$ $(-8, -2)$ $5$ $3$
Solution: Change in $x$ -3 (-8) Change in $y$ (-2) The distance is the length of the hypotenuse of this right triangle. By the Pythagorean Theorem, that length is equal to: $\sqrt{5^2 + 3^2}$ $= \sqrt{34}$